Thursday, February 2, 2012

OSGATA et al v. Monsanto In Depth

The following is an excerpt from our Executive Director, Bill Duesing's, article in our newest edition of the Gleanings eNewsletter that was released today. In the article, Bill details his visit to Manhattan on Tuesday to support farmers who are trying to prevent Monsanto from suing them for patent infringement. If you would like to read the full newsletter, click here. If you'd like to sign up to receive our monthly eNews, click here.

Yesterday I had the honor of representing CT NOFA and its members at a hearing, in the Southern District Court in lower Manhattan, on Monsanto's motion to dismiss our suit asking the court to prevent Monsanto from suing farmers whose crops are contaminated by Monsanto's modified genes. (See this document for more information on the lawsuit, including a list and descriptions of our co-plaintiffs.)

I joined 54 other organic and non-GMO farmers, representatives of organic farming organizations and organic seed producers before 7 AM in order to get a seat in the courtroom. We came from 20 different states and one Canadian province. Although there was no opportunity for us to speak, our attorney felt it was important to show the judge that there are real people behind the law suit. There was standing room only in the courtroom. Monsanto's only supporters were its four attorneys.

In the following video, Dan Ravicher explains what OSGATA et al v. Monsanto is
all about. The video is a little long, but gives a really good
explanation that's easy to understand for those of us who aren't
familiar with legalese.

These resources help to explain why this lawsuit is important, and give an idea of what the outcome will mean for both farmers and consumers. If you want to learn more about activism surrounding this case, check out the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association's website.

You can also read two articles in the news about Tuesday's event here and here.